Wingate, N.C.----The 10th-ranked Wingate University Bulldogs are back at home Saturday night, hosting Tusculum University at 6 p.m. on Homecoming weekend. (VIDEO | LIVE STATS). This is the first conference home game of the season for the undefeated Bulldogs, who were schedule to host Catawba last weekend before that contest was cancelled on Friday. Wingate, ranked in the AFCA top 10 for the first time in program history, enters the weekend 3-0 overall and 1-0 in the SAC. Tusculum is 2-2 overall and 1-1 in league pay. The 'Dogs have outscored opponents 95-31 this season.

ABOUT THE GAME

Saturday, Oct. 2 | 6 p.m. (Homecoming Weekend)
Wingate (3-0; 1-0 SAC) hosts Tusculum (2-2; 1-1 SAC)
Wingate, N.C. (Irwin Belk Stadium) | Video | Live Stats
 
SERIES HISTORY

- This will be the 25th meeting all-time between Wingate and Tusculum
- The Bulldogs hold a 15-9 advantage in the series
- The 'Dogs have won nine of 11 home games against the Pioneers
- Wingate has won seven of the last eight at Irwin Belk Stadium
- The Bulldogs have won two straight in the series and five of the last eight
- Wingate is outscoring Tusculum 627-572 all-time (26.0 ppg – 24.0 ppg)
- The biggest ever win in the series for WU came in 1997, prevailing 51-13 at home
- The 'Dogs also rolled to a 42-17 home win in 2012
- Tusculum's biggest win came in 2002, prevailing 49-6 at Wingate
- Wingate won 28-21 at Tusculum in the last meeting in 2019
- The last four meetings and six of the last seven overall have been one-score games
 
COACHES
 
- WU head coach Joe Reich is in his 21st season at Wingate (134-83)
- One of three SAC coaches to ever win 100 games
- 2017 SAC Coach of the Year (Third time in his career)
- Has led Wingate to four NCAA D2 play-off bids, including each of last three seasons
- Jerry Odom is in his sixth season at Tusculum (25-26)
- Was named Tusculum head coach in December of 2015
- Guided the Pioneers to the SAC title in the 2021 spring season  

ABOUT THE BULLDOGS
 
- Wingate is seeking its fourth straight season with at least nine wins
- WU has made three straight NCAA play-off trips for the first time in program history
- The 'Dogs won nine games in back-to-back years for the first time ever in 2017 & 2018
- Wingate won a school-record 10 games in 2019
- The Bulldogs are 41-13 overall since the start of the 2016 season
- Wingate is 72-35 at Irwin Belk Stadium since 2001
- The Bulldogs are to 13-2 under the lights at Irwin Belk
- Wingate has 31 straight wins when scoring at least 30 points
- Wingate is ranked 10th in the AFCA top 25, the highest ranking in program history
- The 'Dogs won 25-3 at Carson-Newman last time out, biggest-ever margin of victory against CN
- It was the fewest points for the Eagles at home since the 2005 season
- The Bulldogs have held Carson-Newman under 100 rushing yards each of the last two meetings
- The Bulldogs have won 22 of their last 25 regular season home games
- Wingate has the most overall wins and SAC victories since the start of the 2016 season
- After spending all of 2019 in the AFCA top 25, WU has been in all five 2021 polls
 
WINGATE OFFENSE
 
- The Bulldogs are averaging 31.7 points per game, good for fourth in the SAC
- Wingate also ranks fourth in the conference with 390.7 total yards per contest
- Wingate has scored 63 first-half points through two games, allowing just 10 points
- The 'Dogs are outscoring opponents 34-3 in the first quarter this year
- The Bulldogs are third in the SAC in passing (240.7 yard per game)
- Wingate is sixth in the league in rushing yards (150.0 yard per game)
- The 'Dogs are third in the conference, converting 16-of-36 third downs (44 percent)
- Wingate has scored on a league-best 14-of-16 red zone chances, with nine touchdowns
- The Bulldogs lead the conference in time of possession and rank 10th in the nation (34:15)
- Wingate scored 403 points in 2019, the third-most in program history
- The 'Dogs averaged 33.6 points per game in 2019, the second-most in school history
- Shaw Crocker is second in the SAC with 237.7 yards per game third with six touchdowns
- Second in the SAC and 12th in the nation in completion percentage (67.9 percent)
- The All-SAC QB is second in the SAC and 24th nationally in passing efficiency
- Nijere Peoples is fifth in the conference with 82.3 yards per game on the ground
- The All-SAC running back has three TDs and went over 2,000 career yards two weeks ago
- Wingate's receiving group has five different players with a TD grab
- Trevor Grant leads Wingate with 13 catches and 171 yards in just two games of action
- Tight end Ryder Martin has 10 catches for 157 yards and a TD, averaging 15.7 yards per catch
- RJ Mobley has seen grabs for 125 yards and two TDs, averaging 17.9 yards per catch
- Kamal Desor added five catches for 60 yards and a Touchdown in week one
 
WINGATE DEFENSE
 
- Wingate leads the SAC and ranks eighth in the nation, allowing 10.3 points per game
- The 'Dogs are second in the SAC and 15th nationally, allowing 246.7 total yards per game
- Wingate is yet to allow a red zone point and has allowed just one red zone trip through three games
- The Bulldogs lead the SAC in pass defense, allowing 157.7 yards per contest
- WU ranks second in the league in rushing defense, allowing 89.0 yards per game
- The 'Dogs rank seventh in the nation, allowing just eight-of-37 third down conversions (22 percent)
- Wingate has allowed just one of three fourth down conversions this season
- Jaquan Edwards leads Wingate with 19 tackles, including 2.0 TFLS and a sack, adding two break-ups
- Sirod Cook has 16 tackles with 4.5 TFLS, two sacks and a forced fumble
- Matthew Ellis-White has added 13 stops and a pass break-up
- Daron Bowles and Jesiah Carlton each have 11 tackles and half a TFL
- Daquan Mosley has an interception and two pass break-ups, along with 10 tackles
- Tre Morrison has three break-ups, four tackles and a TFL
- Justin Armwood has eight tackles, three TFLs and a pair of break-ups
 
WINGATE SPECIAL TEAMS
 
- Robertson is the reigning SAC Kicker of the Week after hitting four field goals Saturday
- He has hit seven-of-eight field goals this season, including two more of at least 40 yards
- The All-SAC and All-Region kicker has 13 career field goals of at least 40 yards
- Ethan Evans averages 43.2 yards per punt on nine attempts, with three over 50 yards
- He has six punts inside the 20 on the season
- Wingate ranks 10th in the nation in net punting and sixth in punt return defense
- Evans also has 11 touchbacks in 21 kickoffs
- The Bulldogs ranks sixth in the nation in kick return average
- Kyron Thomas has 165 kick return yards in five attempts, good for 33.0 yards per return
- He leads the SAC and ranks seventh nationally in yards per kick return
- J Max Swaim is averaging 13.6 yard per return on five punt returns
- That number leads the SAC and ranks 14th in the nation
- The 'Dogs have blocked a punt (Tyler Riley) and a field goal (Mark Burks) this season

ABOUT TUSCULUM

- The Pioneers went 4-1 in the 2021 spring season, capturing the league title
- Tusculum was picked fourth in the preseason SAC poll this fall
- The Pioneers opened the season with a 58-14 victory over St. Augustine's
- Tusculum then fell to Chowan 46-38 in double OT before downing Limestone 24-21
- TU fell 24-19 at home against Newberry last weekend to fall to 1-1 in league play
- Tusculum is 13-34 all-time against ranked opponents, with a 2-20 road record
- The Pioneers are 3-2 against Wingate when the 'Dogs are ranked
- Tusculum's last road win over a top-25 team came in 2001
- The last time the Pioneers defeated a ranked team came against #12 Wingate in 2017
 
TUSCULUM OFFENSE
 
- The Pioneers average a league-best 34.8 points per game
- Tusculum ranks fourth in the SAC with 381 total yards per contest
- The Pioneers are fourth in the conference in rushing yards per game and fifth in passing yards
- Tusculum ranks seventh in third down conversions at 27 percent (14-51)
- The Pioneers have scored on 11-of-15 red zone chances with eight touchdowns
- They are fourth in the conference with 20.5 first downs per game
- Ivan Corbin is fifth in the SAC with 191.5 passing yards per game
- He has completed 56 of 111 passes for a completion percentage of 50.5 percent
- Corbin has thrown for five touchdowns on the season, adding 153 rush yards and a TD
- Justice Parham has 15 catches for 214 yards and four touchdowns on the year
- He leads the SAC in yards per catch (20.9) and touchdowns (4), ranking fourth in yards (78.5 per game)
- Courtney Jackson has 161 rushing yards and two TDs, averaging 5.0 yards per carry
- Reggie Kellum has 161 yards while going for 5.8 yards per rush
- Maurice Gomillion has added 147 yards on 27 carries with a pair of touchdowns
 
TUSCULUM DEFENSE
 
- Tusculum leads the nation with four defensive touchdowns this season
- The Pioneers are second in the SAC in total defense, allowing 273 yards per game
- Tusculum ranks seventh in the conference in scoring defense, allowing 26.3 points per contest
- The Pioneers rank second in the league in passing defense and fourth in rushing defense
- They have piled up 15 sacks, four interceptions and three fumble recoveries
- Teams are 18-59 on third down against TU, good for 31 percent
- Opponents have nine scores on 11 red zone tripes with eight touchdowns
- Jahaud Russ leads Tusculum with 21 tackles, four TFLS, three QB hurries and a fumble recovery
- Kahmari Lovett has 16 tackles, two pass breakups and an interception
- Nelson Louis leads the Pioneers with four sacks
- Kane Deshauters has six TFLS and a forced fumble
 
TUSCULUM SPECIAL TEAMS
 
- Eli Sheperd has made four of six field goals, with two coming from over 30 yards
- He has also made 12 of 14 PATs
- Andrew Cantrell averages 40.6 yards per punt with a long off 55 and four inside the 20
- Tyler Burke has piled up 126 yards on six kick returns, good for an average of 21 yards per return
- Kanon Hall has 47 yards on five punt returns with a long of 19
 
UP NEXT
 
- Wingate hits the road for the next three games
- The Bulldogs are at Limestone, Barton and UVA Wise before returning home Oct. 30
- WU hosts Lenoir-Rhyne Oct. 30 at 6 p.m.
- Wingate then travels to Newberry before closing the regular season at home against Mars Hill
- Tusculum is at Lenoir-Rhyne next Saturday at 1 p.m.
- That is followed by back-to-back home games against UVA Wise and Barton